Adrianna Mitchell is the latest addition to the cast of Paramount+’s upcoming multi-camera comedy series ‘Crutch,’ starring Tracy Morgan. Jermaine Fowler has also been cast in the series, adding more star power to the new spinoff from CBS’s popular sitcom ‘The Neighborhood.’ Created by Owen Smith, who will serve as showrunner, ‘Crutch’ is set in Harlem and expands the universe of ‘The Neighborhood’ with a fresh storyline.
According to the official logline, Francois ‘Frank’ Crutchfield, affectionately known as “Crutch,” is a shop owner in Harlem whose life takes an unexpected turn when his highbrow son and free-spirited daughter return to the family home. Jermaine Fowler plays Frank’s son, Jake Crutchfield, an Ivy League-educated lawyer who leaves a prestigious job offer to provide low-cost legal services to his Harlem community.
Mitchell will portray Jamilah, a free-spirited naturalista with a dry wit and sharp tongue. Her character is described as notoriously fickle, having built a comfortable suburban life with her husband and two kids in Minneapolis. But as her marriage begins to fall apart, Jamilah returns to Harlem with her 12-year-old daughter, Lisa, and 9-year-old son, Mase, to live with her father, Crutch.
The series is being produced in collaboration with Cedric The Entertainer’s A Bird and a Bear Entertainment, Kapital Entertainment, TrillTV, and CBS Studios. This project reunites Tracy Morgan and Cedric The Entertainer, who previously worked together on Morgan’s TBS series ‘The Last O.G.’ Cedric, who stars as Calvin Butler in ‘The Neighborhood,’ expressed his enthusiasm for the new venture, saying, “I’m thrilled to produce a show with Tracy Morgan, a legendary comedian. Crutch and Calvin are close cousins, and audiences will enjoy the similarities between their characters.”
Tracy Morgan echoed Cedric’s excitement, adding, “Crutch will navigate the ups and downs of having his kids and grandkids back home. And you know if I’m involved, there will be plenty of laughs along the way.”
‘Crutch’ aligns with Paramount+’s strategy of building on successful franchises, tapping into the strong fan base of ‘The Neighborhood.’ Jeff Grossman, EVP of Programming at Paramount Streaming, emphasized the network’s confidence in the show’s appeal. “Our subscribers love CBS’s ‘The Neighborhood,’ so it’s a natural fit to bring ‘Crutch’ to Paramount+,” Grossman said. “We can’t wait to see what Tracy Morgan, Cedric The Entertainer, and Owen Smith will bring to this series.”
Production for ‘Crutch’ is set to begin later this year.